Before you fly: check your entry purpose

A holiday, a degree course and a paid job need different checks. Start with what you will actually do in Korea, rather than the name of a visa you have heard about.

By Seemile · Sources checked

Start with these details

  • Write down your nationality, passport expiry, travel dates and main activities.
  • Check the Korea Visa Portal for the route that matches your purpose; confirm country-specific requirements with the Korean mission.
  • Ask whether any pre-arrival application or approval applies to your passport and travel date.

Keep two questions separate

  • Permission to enter and permission to work are different questions. Do not infer work rights from a short-stay approval.
  • An entry visa does not replace the immigration decision at the border.
  • If plans change from visiting to studying or working, check the new route before starting the activity.

Pack a useful document folder

  • Keep accommodation details, your return or onward plan and the documents requested for your entry route accessible.
  • Save a secure copy of key documents separately from the originals.
  • Use the current official checklist; a friend’s successful application may have had different requirements.

A little Korean goes a long way

  • 방문 목적은 관광입니다. — The purpose of my visit is tourism.
  • 필요한 서류를 확인하고 싶어요. — I would like to check the required documents.
Look up a Korean word

Official information

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Keep going

Seoul is the starting point. National rules and local services are labelled separately; eligibility, fees and opening arrangements can differ elsewhere.

Written and organised by Seemile from official public information, with practical checklists and Korean expressions. We are independent of the institutions linked here. Confirm current requirements with the responsible office before an application, payment or medical decision.